What to do in the Côte d’Azur—from skiing to hiking

When sea and summit sit less than 55 miles apart, adventure is abundant, regardless of the season. It’s the beaches that are most famous in the Côte d’Azur (a.k.a. the French Riviera): from the alabaster sands of Nice — only separated from the city by the Promenade des Anglais — to the U-shaped harbour of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and Villefranche-sur-Mer’s terracotta seaside facades. Fewer tourists venture inland, but the mountains hold the secret to the locals’ quality of life. Skiing, snowshoeing and ice climbing dominate the winter calendar, and summer offers a heady selection of fair-weather activities: cycling, hiking, canyoning and rafting, in a mix more varied than a salade niçoise. If you’re basing yourself in Nice, here’s how to make the most of the region year-round.

Winter

Best for: all kinds of skiing, mountaineering and ice climbing
Nice has the best of both worlds. In 90 minutes — and for the princely sum of €14 (£11.70) return — you can be at the slopes thanks to the airport shuttle bus. A day ski pass costs half that of one for the Three Valleys’, and it’s not for want of quality: Isola 2000 and Auron have 75 and 85 miles of pistes respectively. Isola 2000 is great for families, with plenty of green and blue runs as well as slopeside lunches that don’t break the bank, while a quarter of Auron’s ski area is black runs. All the usual winter sports are also available at both, including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding and dog sledding.

Saint-Martin-Vésubie is the place to go for ‘uphill’ adventurers — those who value sweat over adrenaline. Many people come for cross-country skiing, but you can also try out ice climbing on an artificial frozen waterfall, which looks like dripping candle wax. To try the real thing, take an ice climbing or mountaineering course in Mercantour National Park.

Spring

Best for: road cycling and climbing
Spring doesn’t just herald Alpine flowers in bloom — it’s also the season to grab a bike and tackle some of the region's legendary passes before temperatures soar. From a vantage point more than 3,000ft high at Col de Vence, you can see the Mediterranean coast all the way from Nice to Antibes. Even more of a calf burn is Col de Turini, which is over 5,000ft high. It’s included in the Monte Carlo Rally each year and there are 34 switchbacks.

It’s also the best season for climbing. Junic rock in Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage is a popular spot, with more than 70 routes to choose from. The village looks so small from above that it could be made from origami. Further south, at Valdeblore, there’s a via ferrata (iron path) along with traditional climbing routes.

Summer

Best for: hiking and mountain biking
High season on the Côte d’Azur might conjure up images of sunlounger wars, but there’s a surefire way to get away from the crowds — by heading to the mountains.

In summer, the high mountain passes are finally open, making challenges like Col de la Lombarde accessible. Once you know it’s featured several times on the Tour de France itinerary a climb is to be expected, but this one’s relentless: around 12 miles of solid uphill pedalling. If offroad is more your scene, an epic, seven-stage mountain bike route runs all the way from Auron (5,249ft) to Nice at sea level.

Day hikes can be punctuated with deliciously refreshing dips in high altitude mountain lakes. The Gordolasque valley is one of the most wild and remote in Mercantour National Park. A 7.5 mile hike takes you to Lac Niré, a lake formed by glaciers, where you can stay overnight at Refuge de Nice.

Autumn

Best for: multi-day hiking, zip-lining and paragliding
September — snow-free but the air no longer like hot breath — is the best time for long mountain plods. Mercantour National Park has hiking trails for every ability, punctuated by frequent wildlife sightings of ibex, chamois and marmots. If you have the luxury of time, the GR52 runs all the way from the mountains to the Mediterranean: around 130 miles from Entraunes to Menton, crossing the entire Alpes-Maritimes region. Another sea-to-summit hike, the Pagarine or Salt Route, runs from Nice to Cuneo, Italy, taking on average 10 days to complete. For shorter jaunts, the Saint-Martin-Vésubie is a great place to head for day hikes through cool pine forests, returning to sample local specialities in Niçoise restaurants (a 75-minute drive away) in the evening.

As the leaves change colour, it’s the perfect time to get a bird’s-eye view over the mountains, either with an adrenaline kick from France’s longest zip-line at La Colmiane (open year-round) or at a more leisurely speed, paragliding over glassy mountain lakes and peaks.